Talk:SorryNotSorry/@comment-3575890-20160704023338
'UNPOPULAR OPINION: ' Lucas loves Riley and Maya with equal measure, but not in the same way. As what has been made perfectly evident in this last episode, he does indeed love Riley, and that love may be peppered with some unresolved romantic feelings, but he is absolutely IN LOVE with Maya and this is why: he is hung up on what Riley represents, but completely besotted with who Maya is. When he was still trying to decide between the two of them, he would mull over fate and what a relationship with Riley entailed from a philosophical standpoint, but when he would think of Maya, his thought pattern strayed from ideology and figurative musings. He thought only of WHO she is, which he very clearly described to be the girl he met on the subway so many years ago, automatically negating any theory that his feelings for her are tied to his feelings for Riley. They are entirely an entity of its own and there is a very distinct difference between the respective factors that Lucas uses to gauge his feelings in respect to which girl he is in love with. This brings about a plethora of revelations, even if Lucas himself does not realize it at the time. He is in love with the idea of Riley; she encompasses everything he wishes he was and aspires to be and he subconsciously hopes that he can better himself through her. However, he is actually in love with the girl whom pushes his buttons and aggravatingly gets under his skin, whom challenges him at every turn, whom is not afraid to let loose and make a scene anytime, anywhere, but also shares his interest in bettering themselves for success and self-fulfilment. The girl who wing-womaned her best friend by pushing her onto his lap so many years ago, and wing-womaned her again by stepping down before Lucas could choose her because that’s just who Maya Hart is. And that is who Lucas is in love with. Suffice to say, this is all very akin to Farkle’s respective affections for both Maya and Riley and harkens back to the writers’ selective wording in their answers regarding Riarkle. Farkle does indeed love Riley and Maya equally, but where MJ leaves you to read between the lines is the unspoken remainder of the phrase: “but differently in context and meaning.” Remember: “same” =/= “equal”. They are not synonymous. “Same” means identical. “Equal” means equivalent in quantity and value. Farkle loves and values Riley and Maya respectively of equal measure, but his feelings for Maya are familial and his feelings for Riley romantic; even though he does not realise it yet and hence they have yet to be acknowledged inside or outside of canon. Even if in the past, those feelings bordered on unhealthy obsession rather than love (hence, the correctness of MJ’s statement that Farkle’s feelings for Riley in the past was not descriptive of a boy in love). He wasn’t at that point yet. Admittedly, he may not even be at that point now (hence MJ’s use of the word ‘never’), but his heart is clearly heading in that direction. Normally, I would say that Farkle’s feelings for Riley are completely comparable to Lucas’ for Maya, but given the recent events disclosing rather disheartening confirmation that Farkle is not in love with Riley (YET), there ARE nuances. Namely, Lucas is now aware of his feelings for Maya. He came to terms with them completely in Upstate and he was GOING to choose her for all the right reasons in stark contrast of all the wrong ones that he considered choosing Riley. There is no question about it. But supposedly Farkle is not yet there with Riley. This is mainly because he’s reserved all of his romantic affections for his current girlfriend, as it should be right now. BUT regardless of how deep his feelings for Smackle may be now, I will argue until the cows come home that his romantic feelings for Riley have not evaporated and have merely been buried dormant until the time is right for them to resurface. I think it’s encapsulated in every gaze, gesture, hug, and smile that Farkle still very much has unresolved romantic feelings for Riley that have only deepened the more their friendship has evolved. Going against all MJ has confirmed, my personal interpretation based off of what has been shown to me is that he is very much in love with her, even if unbeknown to him and her, but I can’t argue with canon. if MJ declares that Farkle has never been in love with Riley, I accept that my boy is not there yet with Riley in the same vein that Lucas is with Maya whether that be he is not attune to his feelings or they are just not strong enough yet to combat the ‘science’ part of his “feelings vs science” paradigm. All I can do is wait. I’m still 99.9 percent sure that Riarkle is slated to happen sooner than anyone thinks. In hindsight of this Q&A, it makes perfect sense that MJ would give the answers that he did. Right now, the focal point is Rucas and Joshaya. There is nothing to divulge yet about Lucaya and Riarkle because they are still a long way’s away from exploring either of them and that’s okay. What we are being told is not conducive with what we are being shown - which I am putting far more of my faith into. Right now, everything is pointing towards Rucas and Joshaya for the present and Riarkle and Lucaya for the long-term future.